Spread spectrum techniques are finding larger roles in a variety of applications. In cellular telephony, spread spectrum based systems offer the potential for increased efficiency in the use of bandwidth. The resistance of spread spectrum methods to jamming make them ideally suited for radar and Global Positioning System (GPS) applications. For radar applications, spread spectrum signals have a lower probability of being intercepted due to the noise-like appearance of spread spectrum waveforms. In addition, it may be used to increase the pulse repetition frequency without sacrificing unambiguous range.
In spread spectrum radars, GPS, and cellular telephony applications (e.g., Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)), each transmitted signal or pulse is assigned a time varying pseudo-random (PN) code that is used to spread each bit in the digital data stream (i.e., an interference code), such as a PN code (e.g., a long code) in CDMA applications. In CDMA applications, this spreading causes the signal to occupy the entire spectral band allocated to the Multiple Access System (MAS). The different users in such a system are distinguished by unique interference codes assigned to each. Accordingly, all users simultaneously use all of the bandwidth all of the time and thus there is efficient utilization of bandwidth resources. In addition, since signals are wide-band, the multipath delays can be estimated and compensated for. Finally, by carefully constructing interference codes, base-stations can operate with limited interference from adjacent base stations and therefore operate with higher reuse factors (i.e., more of the available channels can be used).
In spread spectrum systems, all other spread spectrum signals contribute to background noise, or interference, relative to a selected spread spectrum signal. Because each user (or radar pulse or GPS satellite signal) uses a noise-like interference code to spread the bits in a signal, all the users contribute to the background noise. In CDMA systems in particular, user generated background noise, while having a minimal effect on the forward link (base-to-mobile) (due to the synchronized use of orthogonal Walsh Codes), has a significant effect on the reverse link (mobile to base)(where the Walsh Codes are commonly not synchronized and therefore nonorthogonal). The number of users a base-station can support is directly related to the gain of the antenna and inversely related to the interference. Gain is realized through the amplification of the signal from users that are in the main beam of the antenna, thereby increasing the detection probability in the demodulator. Interference decreases the probability of detection for a signal from a given user. Although “code” filters are used to isolate selected users, filter leakage results in the leakage of signals of other users into the signal of the selected user, thereby producing interference. This leakage problem is particularly significant when the selected user is far away (and thus the user's signal is weak) and the interfering user is nearby (and thus the interfering user's signal is strong). This problem is known as the near-far problem.
There are numerous techniques for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of spectrum signals where the noise in the signal is primarily a result of interference caused by other spread spectrum signals. These techniques primarily attempt to reduce or eliminate the interference by different mechanisms.
In one technique, the interfering signals are reduced by switching frequency intervals assigned to users. This technique is useless for the intentional jamming scenario in which jammers track the transmitter frequencies. Frequency switching is not an option for the CDMA standard for cellular telephones. In that technology, all users use all of the frequencies at all times. As a result there are no vacant frequency bands to switch to.
In another technique, the interfering signals are selectively nulled by beam steering. Classical beam steering, however, does not provide, without additional improvements, the required angular resolution for densely populated communications environments.
The above techniques are further hampered due to the fact that signals rarely travel a straight line from the transmitter to the receiver. In fact, signals typically bounce off of buildings, trees, cars, etc., and arrive at the receiver from multiple directions. This situation is referred to as the multipath effect from the multiple paths that the various reflections that a signal takes to arrive at the receiver.